Heretofore, starter motors of the so called piggyback solenoid type, that is, those having a shifting solenoid mounted on the outside of the starter motor housing, have been used extensively in automotive and allied industries for starting internal combustion engines. However, in present industrial and automotive applications, the piggyback solenoid engine starter is not completely satisfactory because of the space that the piggyback solenoid occupies. Also, it is desirable from a production standpoint, to produce a starter housing that is easily adaptable to the various mounting positions required to satisfy a number of engine configurations. By eliminating the piggyback solenoid from the outside of the starter motor housing, the starter motor housing may be mounted in any desirable orientation on the engine without special consideration being given to the shifting solenoid or related parts. In addition, the starter motor can be manufactured to satisfy the various mounting requirements for various types of internal combustion engines, thereby limiting the need of manufacturing several types of starter motor housings.